USA: Donald Trump administration temporarily halts aid to Pakistan

The development was confirmed by an official at the US Consulate in Karachi to Pakistan-based news channel Geo News.

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This move has instantly stopped a number of important USAID projects in Pakistan, including the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) which is the flagship programme to promote cultural heritage preservation and protection, Geo News reported.

What is AFCP?

As per the website of the US Embassy in Pakistan, the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation is the U.S. government’s flagship program to promote cultural heritage preservation and protection worldwide.

The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) helps protect historic buildings, archaeological sites, museum collections, and traditional cultural expressions like indigenous languages and crafts around the world, the website said.

Which are the other projects hit by Trump's decision?

According to Geo News report,  five projects related to the energy sector have also come to a halt as a result of the decision taken by the Trump administration.

They include Power Sector Improvement Activity, Pakistan Private Sector Energy Activity, Energy Sector Advisory Services Project, Clean Energy Loan Portfolio Guarantee Program and Pakistan Climate Financing Activity.

Economic growth-related four projects are also hit. Among them, Social Protection Activity was the only programme supposed to end in 2025, Geo News reported.

The total value of the affected projects is still not known.

Elaborating the step that the new government in the USA was taking, Tammy Bruce, spokesman for the US Department of State, in a statement earlier said, " Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Secretary Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review."

"He is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda," Bruce said.

"President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people. Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative. The Secretary is proud to protect America’s investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas," he said.

US Secretary of State  Marco Rubio had earlier voiced similar sentiments after taking charge when he said: "Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”

Donald Trump's inauguration as the President took place on January 20 during a ceremony in Washington DC.

He signed several key executive orders since taking charge which included issues ranging from immigration, climate change and birthright citizenship.

Some of them will have an immediate impact while others like the Birthright citizenship is facing challenges in the courts.